Friday, May 22, 2015

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 22- It looks like my past two columns on the subject of the 36th State Senate district race in 2016 has stirred up a 'Hornet's Nest'.

Recently elected New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie had a few words for me about what I wrote, and I wrote last week that he should look in a mirror and repeat those words to himself. That seems to be the problem that has gotten many elected officials in trouble in the first place, and it can be summed up in one word, GREED. Last week I also wrote that I know more than the former Bronx Democratic County Leader thinks I know, and that I have been on his side since he took over as the county leader, but Carl you know that I have to do what I have to do.

In speaking with several voters of the 36th State Senate District (and some from the 83rd Assembly District) almost all told me they are not happy with the 'Politics as Usual' that seems to be going on. Most did not know who Heastie’s candidate was, and said they want no part of him. There was mention of the foreclosed homes, poor schools, high crime, and how the city is just invading the community with criminals who are scaring the community as they commit crimes and drain the precious resources of the area. They also wanted to know where the elected officials were.

In looking closely at the 36th State Senate District there has been a somewhat major change to the district during the last redistricting. No the Wakefield and Co-op City areas have not changed, but the district has picked up more of the 80th and 81st Assembly districts. This got me thinking, and Assemblyman Jose Rivera here is my little surprise for you that I promised you in last week’s column.

It appears Assemblyman Rivera that your 2012 challenger in the 78th A.D. Mr. Ricky Martinez, gave you the toughest primary in a long while. Mr. Martinez won all the poll sites in the 36th State Senate district portion of the 78th A.D. In checking the 2000 primary election for the 80th Assembly District, Mr. Martinez gave then 80thAssemblyman Jeff Klein a big scare when he garnered 25 percent of the vote. Assemblyman Klein had Mr. Martinez redistricted to the 78th A.D. in the 2002 redistricting. As for the 81stA.D. The Norwood section of the district was given to the 36th State Senate District in the recent redistricting, and that is where Mr. Martinez grew up, and pulled his strength when he ran for School Board 10. My advice to Mr. Ricky Martinez would be not to run this year against Assemblyman Jose Rivera, but instead look at the 36th State Senate district where your strength is. You can come into the 36th State Senate race with over 1,500 votes that you have already shown you can get. I can not see anyone coming into the race with nearly 1,000 votes, and that includes Mr. Jerome Bailey, even with the help of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. There is a high negative vote against incumbents, and with the current climate in Albany the help of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie could wind up a liability to candidate Bailey. Take it from me Mr. Bailey you would really look bad as well as would Speaker Heastie when you come in third place.

To prove my point just look at the 2013 race for the 15th City Council seat of former City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera. Albert Alvarez who was not just a staffer, but the Chief of Staff to City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera, and candidate Alvarez wound up coming in 4th place in that Democratic primary. Sorry Jose. More on the 36th State Senate 2016 primary in my next column. It seems that there will be some jockeying for the 13th City Council seat, as well as maybe some other seats in 2016. By the way Assemblyman Heastie why do you think 33rd State Senator Gustavo Rivera's Chief of Staff Katrina Asante is running for the Riverbay Board? The next move is that she will be Senator Rivera's candidate in the 2016 36thState Senate District, that is if she can get elected to the Riverbay board.

Lastly, Happy Birthday to Adam Clayton Powell, and he is having his party on May 27th at the Rio II Gallery located at 583 Riverside Drive @ 135th Street. Tickets start at $53.00 (I guess that must mean he will be 53 years old), and you can call 646-707-3632. At least Congressman Rangel has committed to this being his last term in office, but I look for Manhattan Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Keith Wright to be the favorite in the 15th congregational race in 2016. Also don't forget to check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.comfor photos of the Bronx Week Parade

If you have any political information that you want to share or have checked out, any comments about this column, or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 10- While this column is being written before Primary day 2014, the headline should be correct.

I say it that way because in the 34th State Senate race challenger, Oliver Koppell, turned into almost everything that he had accused Senator Klein of being. From the very first word in the debates to the mailings by candidate Oliver Koppell, he attacked Senator Jeff Klein since Oliver Koppell had no record to run on. Senator Klein did not have enough time in the debates or room on his mailings to extol his proven track record, which reached new heights for the 34th Senate District, New York City, and New York State in the past two years. He has proven that he deserves to be re-elected and received the endorsement of almost everyone, and almost every union.

In a mailing from candidate Koppell that disturbed me the most, there was the four-page review of his endorsements all 11 or 12 that is, if the Riverdale Press really endorsed candidate Koppell. The list is unimpressive especially with Betsy Gotbaum who had to be the worst Public Advocate, and the reason then Mayor Bloomberg wanted to get rid of the office at the top. There is a photo of candidate Koppell at a rally, but it is of candidate Koppell running for Attorney General with the words State Senate under the photo. By the way, Oliver Koppell was never elected Attorney General; he was anointed by the New York State Assembly to fill the vacant position. The words 'Vote to end corruption in Albany' are also below of the AG photo, and we see how good a job AG Koppell did.

As for the Riverdale Press endorsement, the back page of the mailing has the New York Times endorsement – 'We enthusiastically support Mr. Koppel in this district'. Right under the New York Times endorsement is the Riverdale Press editorial 'Editorial: The honorable Mr. Koppell', with the words at the bottom of the page saying 'On September 9th Vote for Oliver Koppell.' In checking the September 4th Riverdale Press (the last before Tuesday's Democratic primary) the headline of the editorial reads 'Yes, you must vote.' In the very last paragraph they say that they never endorse a candidate, and upon rechecking the Koppell mailer carefully I noticed the date of the Riverdale Press supposedly endorsement is November 7, 2013. Also in the September 4th paper however are two half page ads for candidate Koppell that appear in no other local newspaper. One on the back page, and one on the page opposite the editorial where letters to the editor are usually found. The question is, did the Riverdale Press silently endorse Oliver Koppell as its many articles the past weeks would also indicate, or did candidate Oliver Koppell try to device the voters into thinking that the paper had endorsed him?

The movie in the park (Vinmont Park) for September 6th was canceled due to the alert of heavy winds and rain in the forecast that day. There was no mention of any rescheduling of the movie.

Finally, last week the Broadway Mall at West 230th street opened up with Aldi market welcoming in the shoppers. Aldi is a store that features lower prices on most items, but the catch is that there is a very limited supply of non store branded items, and no fresh meat, fish, deli, or bakery departments. Boxes are cut open and stacked for display. Many customers liked the lower prices, but some also said that miss the brands they but most. To see photos of the new Aldi market you can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com.

If you have any political news that you want to share, any comments about this column, or have an event that you would like to have listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.

Friday, August 22, 2014

BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 22- It appears now that you can have Derek Jeter and other famous names, or even names of those who have departed from the earth sign your petition you will get to stay on the ballot.

This was the case last year in the infamous signature of Derek Jeter on a petition of a candidate for city council, and is the case this year of several people who departed (are dead), but signed a petition this year for a state senate candidate. 33rd State Senate candidate Fernado Cabrera was ruled on the ballot by Judge John Carter. It seems although the signatures of several dead people were not enough to have the Cabrera petition thrown out entirely, only those signatures of the departed were not allowed to be valid. So that 33rd State Senate primary between State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Councilman Fernando Cabrera is on. So why were you not at the Bronxtalk debate 33rd state senate candidate Fernando Cabrera? More in upcoming weeks.

Let me explain how a dead person may wind up signing a candidate's petition. It takes the Board of Elections two federal elections of non voting or up to 11 years that a person may be dead until the Board of Elections removes them from the active voting list. When getting signatures the assembly party enrollment book is usually used so petition witnesses know who is enrolled, and which names to look for that are active voters. Lists are normally given by address and those getting the signatures should have an easy time of finding registered voters. The other way to get signatures on a petition is to stand on a street and ask people to sign the petition. Street petitions are often unreliable as many people who are not registered voters or live out of the district will sign a street petition.

So how does someone who is dead sign a petition? You will have to ask the person who got the signature of the stiff, and I am sure that Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson will have his hands full after this primary day. I wonder who may get a call to come in by DA Johnson or even the U.S. Attorney.

You can check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to see a photo of one of the many new signs that have been put up on Jerome Avenue. The signs say Jerome Avenue 'Slow Zone' 25 Miles Per Hour Speed Limit. It seems crazy that it took a car accident that claimed a life for this to happen, but if the driver was speeding way over the 30 MPH speed limit what would make anyone think that a sign 25 MPH will stop the speeding?

By the way the yellow line in the middle of Jerome Avenue from Fordham Road and up is gone just like many other traffic lines or markings. Why do these markings wear out so fast DOT?

The Committee of 100 Democrats will be hosting their 10th Annual Free Community Barbecue this Saturday, August 23rd from 12 – 6 p.m. on East 204th Street between Mosholu Parkway and the Grand Concourse. State Senate Co--Leader Jeff Klein is the Guest of Honor, and anybody can show up as has happened in the past. There will be free food and refreshments while supplies last, and lots of entertainment, which is still being added to the program.

State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein just returned from a visit in Israel with Governor Cuomo, and because he was on this trip he missed his own standing room only concert in Loreto Park by Engelbert Humperdink. On hand however was Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., State Senator Diane Savino (who mentioned that she was Senator Klein's girlfriend), Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, and about a thousand people who came out for the Klein Summertime Symphonies Series. Even Klein's September Democratic opponent Oliver Koppell and November Republican opponent Alekander Mici were at the concert. You can go to my blog archive on the lower left to Engelbert Humperdink for more and some photos, but none of Engelbert due to the lighting.

I was able to speak with Senator Klein the next day about his trip to Israel (his third one), and the senator said that he was able to meet with members of the Israeli Parliament and Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu.

I changed subjects on Senator Klein asking him a question about the KRVDC Movie Night program he is co-sponsoring with the non-profit, and the charges by his opponent of using the non-profit. The words Oliver Koppell and crazy were heard, and Senator Klein laughed when I showed him a photo from 2010 of Oliver Koppell with the Executive Director of KRVDC showing a one-time Riverdale restaurant guide then Councilman Koppel had the non-profit do. Klein said that unlike his challenger he continues to fund groups that may not agree with him. I could see that the senator was tired from the trip, and reminded that I would see him at the Committee of 100 Democrats 10th Annual Free Community Barbecue on Saturday, August 23rd.

If you have an item that needs to be looked into further, have any comments about this column, or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog, you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.